‘You’ve only been there for a week,’ Libby said quietly. ‘These things take time. Remember what we said.’

‘Yeah.’ Adrienne nodded and then looked at Andreas. ‘Can we go for a pizza before you take me back?’

Relieved to have avoided a long drawn-out debate about whether she should go back at all, Andreas smiled. Whatever Libby had said to the child, it had obviously made an impact. ‘Yes, we can go for pizza.’

‘And can Libby come?’

Libby stiffened. ‘I don’t think—’

‘Of course she can,’ Andreas said smoothly, ignoring the furious look she shot him. ‘It’s the least I can do after the hospitality she offered you tonight.’

‘Fantastic. I just need to say goodbye to Alex.’ Adrienne hurried off towards the kitchen and Libby looked at Andreas angrily.

‘I’ve already told you, I don’t go on dates.’

‘If you think that eating pizza with a twelve-year-old is my idea of a date, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when I finally take you out,’ Andreas drawled. ‘You can relax. This is Adrienne’s evening. You’re quite safe.’

She sucked in a breath. ‘Don’t you understand no? Do I need to learn Greek?’

‘It’s just a pizza, Libby,’ he said mildly, noticing with satisfaction that she seemed very tense. She definitely wasn’t indifferent to him. ‘Trust me, when we go on our date, we won’t be eating pizza.’

‘I won’t go on a date with you.’ Her eyes clashed with his and her blue eyes sparked. ‘I don’t want to go on a date with anyone.’

‘But I’m not anyone.’

Her soft lips were parted and he could see a pulse beating in the side of her throat but she was still glaring at him.

‘Sure of yourself, aren’t you?’

He smiled, intrigued by the complexities of her character. On the outside she was prickly and sassy, but on the inside—his guts clenched as he remembered the way she’d handled the children—on the inside she was soft and all woman.

And he wanted her.

He lifted a hand and brushed her flushed cheek with a lingering touch that made her stiffen. ‘Remember the fireworks, Libby.’

He could tell by the expression on her face that she didn’t want to remember them. That remembering them disturbed her.

* * *

They took Adrienne for a pizza and then drove her back to school.

Libby helped to settle her into her room while Andreas went to talk to the headmistress.

Noting the awed expressions of her roommates as they stared at both Andreas and his incredibly sexy sports car, Libby privately doubted that Adrienne would have any more trouble fitting in, but she chatted away to the other girls, trying to help Adrienne bridge the gap.

When they finally left the school it was dark and Andreas drove back towards her flat.

‘I owe you a big thank you.’

She glanced at him briefly, suddenly conscious of the intimacy created by the confines of the car. ‘For what?’

‘For being so kind to Adrienne.’